McBride Ranch House

The Pioneer Legacy of the Texas Panhandle

David Nichols McBride and his wife Abigail moved to a wooded canyon near the Canadian River in 1897. The tract consisting of one section of "watered homestead" and three alternate sections of school land was located in the center of the LX Ranch, then owned by the American Pastoral Company of London. Upon proof of three years' occupancy, McBride was issued a patent for the land in 1901. The homestead section was only three dollars an acre and the grazing section was one dollar an acre. The McBrides had 40 years to pay off the ranch at three percent interest.

 

Front elevation drawing of McBride House.

Elevation courtesy of Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress

The family's first home was a frame house near the present Bates Boat Ramp. In 1903, McBride built a stone ranch house from Dolomite and mortarded stones. The stones were burned with lime in a kiln constructed near the house. The wood used in the ridge beams, door and window lintels came from old railroad timbers salvaged from a washed out bridge.

 

Floor plan of McBride House.

Floor plan courtesy of Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress

The ranch house contained two rooms with a chimney in the middle. The room on the right side of the house was the kitchen and the other room served as a bedroom. A porch was planned for the house, but was never completed. The roof was flat and the floor and walls were plaster. In addition to the house there was an ice house, corral, bunkhouse, storage area, and bunkhouse, all built from the railroad timbers.

 

In addition to the ranch, the McBrides had a home in Amarillo. David McBride, in his later years, turned the ranch over to his son Amos. Amos McBride lived in the house for a while and at one time used it as a still house to brew moonshine whiskey.

In the early 1960s, the family sold the ranch house property in McBride Canyon to the Bureau of Reclamation to become part of Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. Special programs are given to visitors by rangers during the summer and fall, but the house is not open to the general public.

 

The McBride House. Since this photo was taken, the National Park Service has added a new roof over the remaining structure to help preserve this landmark.

NPS Photo